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16 December 2022 / Marc Weller
Issue: 8007 / Categories: Features , Constitutional law
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Indyref2: Gordon Brown has spoken

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Will Labour’s plan for the UK’s future defeat Scotland’s drive towards independence? Marc Weller weighs up the proposals of the Brown Commission
  • The report of the Commission on the UK’s Future, chaired by Gordon Brown, proposes further enhanced powers for the nations of the United Kingdom, in particular Scotland, through yet more devolution.
  • However, no new institutional infrastructure to achieve the aim of fuller representation of Scotland at the centre of UK decision-making is put forward by the report.

Gordon Brown has delivered his great pitch for Labour. Early in December, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer presented the long-awaited report of the Commission on the UK’s Future.

The report, authored by a collection of some 16 politicians, trade unionists and legal and other experts, is of particular relevance for Scotland. The commission started its work in February 2021, in the run-up to the Scottish parliamentary elections, at a time when opinion polls suggested an upsurge in support for independence.

The commission was chaired by former chancellor, prime

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